New York Post

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1948

Everything’s Going Your Way


Bevin’s Curse, Like Balaam’s, Is Changed
Into a Blessing

By OBSERVER

A year ago Ernest Bevin would not agree to admit 100,000 Jews, or any substantial number of them, into Palestine. Had he agreed then, there would not be a state of Israel today; but he did not—and the state of Israel came into being.

The United Nations did not stand up to its duty and did not send a force to implement partition, to which it had committed itself. The Israelis themselves established their state without help from the outside. Had the United Nations enforced partition, the world would look upon Israel as an artificial and feeble nation, unable to defend itself. But as events turned out Israel grew in stature.

The Arabs refused to consent to a peaceful solution of the Palestinian problem. Their forces, gathered from seven countries, invaded Palestine. They could not conquer it. Had they not invaded Palestine, they would have lived under the illusion that the Israelis, like the Jews in the ghettos of Baghdad and Cairo, are at their mercy. But now they have invaded Palestine and have met resistance, they have respect for the Israelis.

The United States maintained an arms embargo on Israel while the British supplied Arab countries with arms. Israel has therefore developed in a very short time its own munitions industry, which is an asset during the truce period when the import of arms is forbidden by the Security Council. If the United States had not imposed an arms embargo when Israel was attacked, there would not be a war industry in Israel such as now is there.

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When the 30-day truce expired, the Arabs thought that the truce had kept them from conquering all Palestine. So they resumed the war. In ten days they lost heavily in Galilee, in Saron, on the road to Jerusalem, and in the Negeb. If they had not resumed the war, they would have retained many areas; now they have lost them.

The British and the Arabs cut off Jerusalem from its water supply and the State of Israel from oil, thinking to starve the Israelis into submission. But the Israelis built a secret water pipe to Jerusalem that was ready on the very day the Arabs blew up the Latrun pumping station; now Jerusalem will have water even if the truce will end and the war resumed. And in Haifa the Israelis seized the refinery which is a British property and brought oil from outside in tankers for processing. Then the British practically went on their knees looking for an arrangement that the Iraqi oil should be again refined at Haifa.

* * *

Whatever was done against the Israelis has turned to their advantage. Since no one has helped them, they are not obliged to anyone. In view of all this one wonders whether the American loan will be needed when the Administration finally gets around to grant it.

To Britain not loans but subsidies are given; likewise to Greece and Turkey. But the Israelis have asked for a bank loan. Who knows? Maybe some private banks or industries, or the Netherlands, or Czechoslovakia, or some other country will come forward with the proposal of a loan in money or material, and America will lose an opportunity to acquire an economic position in an important area.

Since everything that was done against Israel has turned out favorably, one wonders what benefit may be in store for the Israelis from having 12,000 of their brothers held in the Cyprus death prison? The British had better let them go.

By suffering so much there, the Israelis have acquired special rights in the island. The British would be well advised to open the wire cages before it is too late and they are again the losers.